Departmental Marketing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department.

Shaun Woodward: Expenditure on Government commissioned advertising is included within the framework of the Northern Ireland Office's procurement policy which aims to achieve "best value for money" in the procurement of goods and services over the lifetime of a contract. This allows wider policy objectives to be considered in the procurement process so that it meets the tests of need, affordability and cost-effectiveness and complies with the UK's EC and international obligations.

Metal Theft

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what recent representations the Church Commissioners have received on the levels of theft of lead, copper and other materials from church roofs; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: None. However, the Archbishops' Council continues to work with parishes and dioceses, insurers and the police to try to solve this serious problem. By way of a statement, churches not only have to replace the stolen metals; they also have to contend with damage to masonry and timber, and other problems caused by leaking rainwater. It is a serious problem which the Church is working hard to solve.

Bats

Andrew Robathan: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what estimate the Commissioners have made of the number of cases of damage to historic churches caused by bats.

Stuart Bell: The Church of England does not hold such figures centrally but I know that the damage and hygiene issues caused by bats remain a concern for some parishes and the Archbishops' Council continues to discuss it with other relevant parties.

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 8 October 2008,  Official  Report, columns 651-52W.

China: Armed Forces

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2008,  Official Report, columns 2250-1W, on armed forces: training, when his Department's bilateral programme with the Chinese People's Liberation Army started; what the terms of the programme are; what other activities  (a) have taken place and  (b) are planned to take place under the programme; how much funding has been allocated for the programme in the next 12 months; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the bilateral programme agreement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 20 October 2008
	The MOD's limited bilateral programme with China has been developing on a gradual basis since the then Prime Minister visited China in October 1998. The terms of the programme are: to maintain consistency with HMG policy and international restrictions; to limit the scope of activity; to ensure in-country control through oversight by the UK Defence Attaché, and; to conduct regular policy review. Activities include senior leadership engagement, high-level command and staff training, junior leadership training, low-level military training, exercises (observing), disaster management training, peace support operations training, benefits to the wider military and civil communities and sport. The total amount of funding allocated in support of the programme for financial year 2008-09 is £464.5,000, of which £177,000 comes from the Conflict Prevention Pool. Our complete UK/China bi-lateral programme for FY 2008-09 is subject to continuing discussion, but is expected to comprise a series of high level visits, an annual programming meeting, short term training teams and courses (including English language training) related to Peace Support Operations, a small number of places for Chinese students in defence education establishments, and limited short term exchanges of service personnel.
	I am withholding a copy of the bilateral programme agreement as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice international relations.

Nuclear Disarmament

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government is taking to promote multilateral nuclear disarmament.

John Hutton: The UK plays an active role in all international fora and treaties related to multilateral nuclear disarmament. In particular, we are working to reinforce and strengthen the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. We are pressing for the start of negotiation without pre-conditions in the Conference on Disarmament on a Fissile Material Cut-Off treaty and we continue to call all on all States that have not yet ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to do so, especially those nine for which entry into force is required.
	We are also playing a leading and innovative role in several new initiatives. Along with Norway and the non-governmental organisation VERTIC, we are undertaking research into possible technologies which may be of potential use in any future multilateral disarmament treaty or regime. We have offered to host a confidence building and technical conference between the five Nuclear Weapon States to discuss the issues surrounding multilateral nuclear disarmament. We have co-sponsored a major report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies on the technical and political requirements for a world free of nuclear weapons published in August 2008.

RAF Croughton

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role RAF Croughton plays in the US Missile Defence System.

John Hutton: RAF Croughton plays no role in the US Missile Defence system.

USA: Military Bases

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which bases in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales US visiting forces are based.

Bob Ainsworth: US visiting Forces occupy the following bases in England, all designated as RAF bases: Alconbury, Cambridgeshire; Barford St. John, Oxfordshire; Croughton, Northants; Fairford, Gloucestershire; Feltwell, Norfolk; Lakenheath, Suffolk; Menwith Hill, North Yorkshire; Molesworth, Cambridgeshire; Upwood, Cambridgeshire; Welford, Berkshire. In addition, there is a USVF presence at the Joint Maritime Facility at St Mawgan, Cornwall. There are no USVF bases in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Community Relations: Islam

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 989W, on terrorism, what progress has been made on point 11 of the 12-point plan of 5 August 2005 in respect of consulting Muslim leaders with regard to those clerics who are not British citizens to draw up a list of those not suitable to preach who will be excluded from the UK.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 17 October 2008
	On progress against the 12-point plan, I refer the hon. Member again to the update provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1594W. This sets out that all counter-terrorism work has now been subsumed into the United Kingdom's long-term strategy for countering terrorism (the CONTEST strategy).
	On point 11 in the 12-point plan, I refer the hon. Member again to the statement made by the then Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Clarke) on 15 December 2005,  Official Report, columns 167-71WS. No further action was taken in respect of drawing up a list of 'clerics' to be excluded from the UK.
	Since August 2005, 79 individuals have been excluded from the UK on the basis that they have engaged in unacceptable behaviours. The statistics are not broken down according to the professional background of the individuals concerned. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) on 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 14W.

Taxis: Licensing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) time period and  (b) jurisdictions are covered by Criminal Records Bureau checks on (i) British and (ii) foreign national applicants for taxi licences.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government has no responsibility for these matters. The licensing of taxis is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. The Criminal Records Bureau is an executive agency of the Home Office.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) listening exercises and  (b) public forums his Department has held in each of the last two years; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost was in each case; and who the private contractor was and how much it was paid in each case.

Hilary Benn: DEFRA has held one major listening exercise in the last two years. The Citizen's Summit on Climate Change in May 2007 was managed entirely through the Central Office of Information at a total cost of £440,791. These costs were in line with exercises of a similar scale and scope.
	The principal objectives and benefits included:
	Informing public consultation for the Climate Change Bill;
	Talking about the early stages of the Act on C02 campaign to raise public awareness and help citizens to engage with climate change;
	Allowing Government, industry and the public to engage in informed dialogue on climate change;
	Informing the development of a broader, longer term marketing campaign.
	The summit itself was the culmination of a longer term deliberative research process with a representative sample of the population. Members of the public were recruited from across the country, exposed to all sides of the debate and asked about their attitudes and behaviour on climate change.
	The final event was a major participative exercise involving the then Secretary of State, the Heads of the CBI, TUC and the NCC, policy officials and around 160 members of the public. The event was covered by the media and broadcast over the internet. A full research report was produced and published to capture the key learning from the exercise. This was fed into the formal consultation process of the Climate Change Bill.
	The survey of those who participated indicated:
	Very high satisfaction with the process;
	89 per cent. said that the process had been "very important";
	Levels of feeling better informed about climate change doubled during the process, as did levels of personal engagement with the issue ("I am personally making a lot of effort" from 31 per cent. to 62 per cent.);
	The process informed the development of the 'Footprint' creative device for the Act on C02 advertising campaign. More than 50 per cent. of those who saw the first phase of this activity said that they had or planned to take action as a result of the campaign.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Huw Irranca-Davies: As at 9 October 2008, we had received a total of 841 named day questions, and we answered 333 on the due date. This equates to approximately 40 per cent.

Climate Change: Research

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how much the Government has spent on research into climate change since 1997;
	(2)  how much the Government has provided by way of grants or subsidies to organisations, companies and people involved in climate change research in each financial year since 1998.

Joan Ruddock: The UK's leading role in delivering climate change policy has been built on its world-leading research and the Government are committed to continuing support in this area. The Government support research into a wide range of climate change issues, including climate change science and innovations for mitigation and adaptation, but no centrally-collated figures are available for total expenditure.
	The majority of Government expenditure in climate change research is provided through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC receives funding from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). NERC's funding of climate change research in 2007-08 was about 28 per cent. of its net spend of £389 million, approximately £109 million. In addition, universities also invest funding received from the Higher Education Funding Councils, some of which is invested in this area.
	DEFRA's total expenditure on climate change research (including projects of a cross-cutting nature which are of relevance to climate change) over the last six years was £132.8 million (£13.7 million in 2002-03, £17.7 million in 2003-04, £22.0 million in 2004-05, £23.7 million in 2005-06, £24.7 million in 2006-07, and £31.0 million in 2007-08). Figures for earlier years are not readily available.

Industrial Diseases

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the reliability of the medical assessment procedure in assessing claims under the coal miners' compensation scheme.

Mike O'Brien: Respiratory specialists and experienced medical practitioners undertake medical assessments in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger respectively. It is important to take steps to ensure consistency of diagnosis and this is done by providing training specific to each condition and also by auditing the Medical Assessment Process assessments. Specialists are trained to understand each assessment form and its objectives to establish the level of disability caused by chronic pulmonary disease or vibration white finger, assess the impact of any other condition and calculate how much of the disability is due to working in coal mines. Required qualifications for the specialist are set out in each claims handling agreement.
	Processes are in place, agreed between both the claimants' solicitors and the Department, to facilitate the independent auditing of the medical assessment process. The audits are carried out firstly by the lead doctor (who delivers the training) and then by the Medical Reference Panel. The audits are done on a monthly basis and look at a sample of six reports from each respiratory specialist or experienced medical practitioner.
	A quality review is undertaken by an independent organization for medical assessments conducted under the Coal Health Compensation schemes. The Medical Review Panel is also available if any solicitor wish to dispute the medical findings in particular claims.

University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government has provided by way of grants or subsidies to the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit in each financial year since 1998.

Joan Ruddock: The Natural Environment Research Council, which receives funding from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), has made grants and awards to the University of East Anglia, but figures specifically for the Climatic Research Unit are not available.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many agencies were sponsored by her Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Phil Woolas: The "Next Steps Report 1997" (Cm3889) provides information on all executive agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available from the Library of the House. The most up-to-date list of executive agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication "The List of Ministerial Responsibilities". The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Genetics: Databases

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of adding DNA samples to the National DNA database in each year since 1995.

Meg Hillier: The process for adding information to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) has a number of elements, the costs of which fall to different parties. The process initially involves police taking a sample of a person's cells (usually by means of a swab of the inside of the cheek), following which the sample is sent to a forensic supplier who processes it to produce a profile. This is a numerical sequence representing a small part of the person's DNA. The profile is then added to the NDNAD, which operates to match profiles taken from individuals with those found at crime scenes.
	The costs of taking and processing the sample fall to individual police forces. They vary depending on the contractual relationship between the force and the forensic supplier, which is commercially confidential.
	The costs of operating the NDNAD and accrediting forensic suppliers fell, between 1995 and 2005 to the Forensic Science Service, between December 2005 and March 2007 to the Home Office, and since April 2007, to the National Policing Improvement Agency. For information on these costs, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, columns 1566-67W.

Burma: Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of India on arms sales to the government of Burma.

Bill Rammell: The matter was raised with the Indian Government last year when we became aware that India had sold arms to Burma. If further sales come to our attention, we will again raise our concerns. The EU has an arms embargo against Burma and calls on all countries to consider carefully whether arms which are used against civilians should be sold to Burma.
	We continue to raise the need for political change in Burma with the Indian Government at the highest levels. We hope that, as the world's largest democracy, India will use the influence that it has on the Burmese regime to encourage the start of an inclusive political process leading to genuine democracy and respect for human rights.

Burma: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Burma about the incidence of human rights abuses in that country since 22nd July 2008.

Bill Rammell: As part of the EU Common Position, we do not engage at ministerial level with the regime in Burma. Our ambassador in Rangoon has met Burmese officials on a number of occasions since 22 July to raise our concerns about the human rights situation in the country. Recent exchanges have focused on prisoner welfare, the release of political prisoners and the need for a genuinely inclusive political process. The ambassador also discussed specific abuses inflicted on Burma's ethnic groups with Professor Gambari during the UN envoy's visit in August.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his ASEAN counterparts on the supply of military police and security equipment to the government of Burma.

Bill Rammell: We are aware of reports that the Government of Burma has purchased military and security equipment from some Association of South-East Asia Nations (ASEAN) countries. Burma is subject to an EU arms embargo and we encourage all countries, including members of ASEAN, to observe responsible arms trade policies towards Burma and other countries whose activities may be a cause for concern.
	We regularly urge ASEAN countries to do all they can to promote respect for human rights and a genuine transition to democracy in Burma. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed these issues with the Foreign Ministers of Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General on 27 September in New York.

Burma: Politics and Government

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese government on the conduct of the government of Burma.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised our deep concern about the situation in Burma with Chinese Premier Wen on 24 September, during UN General Assembly Ministerial week in New York. He also raised Burma with both Premier Wen and President Hu in Beijing in August. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Burma with Foreign Minister Yang on 12 June, and will raise the issue again when they meet at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Beijing later this month. Officials maintain an active dialogue with the Chinese government through our embassies in Beijing and Rangoon, and with the Chinese embassy in London. In all these discussions, we have consistently encouraged China to bring its influence to bear on the Burmese regime to respond to the demands of the UN Security Council and broader international community.

Burma: Politics and Government

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Burma on the outcome of the most recent visit to Burma by the UN special rapporteur.

Bill Rammell: The UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma visited the country between 3 and 7 August and delivered a report of his observations to the UN General Assembly on 5 September 2008. Ministerial contact with the regime is restricted by the EU Common Position on Burma. However, our ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises our deep concern about the human rights situation, including the issues highlighted in the Special Rapporteur's report. We also support the work of the Special Rapporteur through the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

India: Christianity

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Indian government on the alleged persecution of Christians in Orissa state; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are deeply concerned by the recent reports of attacks against Christians in Orissa. There can be no justification for such violent attacks against innocent people. On 1 October, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Asia, Africa and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown raised the matter with the Indian High Commissioner and on 17 October he raised it in Delhi with the Minister of External Affairs, Arnand Sharma. He also used his recent visit to India to raise it with the chairman of the Minorities Commission, Mr. Mohammed Quereshi. We understand that the Indian Government fully recognise the seriousness of these incidents and are engaged with the Orissa State authorities in restoring law and order to that region.

India: Terrorism

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place for co-operation with the Indian government on intelligence relating to  (a) the causes of and  (b) the perpetrators of terrorism in India.

Bill Rammell: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters.
	We value our co-operation with India across a range of counter-terrorism issues and we expect to further strengthen co-operation through a meeting of the Indo-UK Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism later this year.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to assist the Government of Pakistan in reducing the incidence of extremism in that country.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the problem of extremism in Pakistan with President Zardari on 16 September. He offered Pakistan the UK's full support, including through support for development, capacity-building and counter-terrorism cooperation.
	We continue to work with Pakistan to help tackle the serious development, security and economic problems that Pakistan faces. The UK and Pakistan have a broad programme of counter-terrorism cooperation. This includes providing operational support in key law enforcement and prosecuting agencies. We will also be doubling development spending in Pakistan to £480 million over the next three years to help strengthen democratic institutions and promote good governance; provide better quality education and increase health care provision. This assistance should also help to address some of the underlying causes of radicalisation.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of incidents involving the alleged persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan; and when he last raised the subject with the government of Pakistan.

Bill Rammell: Members of the Ahmadiyya community in the United Kingdom recently informed us about comments made on a popular Pakistani television programme inciting violence against their community. Within several days, two prominent members of the Ahmadiyya community in Karachi were killed. Our deputy high commission in Karachi discussed this with the provincial Sindh Government, who are investigating the broadcast.
	With our EU partners, we regularly raise concerns about the treatment of all minority groups with the Government of Pakistan. The last specific intervention by the EU on the persecution of the Ahmaddiya community took place in July.

Sudan: Elections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken to facilitate free and fair elections in Sudan as outlined in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Gillian Merron: As Chair of the donor working group on elections in Khartoum, we work with other donors and the UN to lobby the Government of Sudan to amend key legislation on national security, the media and political parties to create an environment for free and fair elections.
	The UK has supported civic education and media training programmes since late 2007. We will contribute an initial £1.5 million to the UN elections programme to fund civic and voter education, civil society training, and training for electoral staff.
	We regularly raise the issue of elections, and emphasise the need for elections to be free and fair, with government and opposition parties in north and south Sudan.

Building Societies: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what support the Government has provided to building societies during the recent economic difficulties.

Ian Pearson: The recapitalisation scheme announced on 8 October provides three measures aimed to help not just UK banks (including foreign subsidiaries) but also UK building societies. The extension of the Special Liquidity Scheme will provide short-term liquidity. The recapitalisation through shares (both ordinary and preference) as well as Permanent Interest Bearing Shares (PIBS), will strengthen institutions' resources, allowing them to restructure their finances while maintaining their support for the real economy. The credit guarantee scheme will ensure that the banking system has the necessary funds in the medium term This scheme, which is now being replicated worldwide, is available for all UK building societies.

Taxation: Shipping

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons were for the decision by HM Revenue and Customs to review the guidance on vessels that do not qualify under the seafarers' earnings deduction income tax rules.

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on seafarers' earnings deduction; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to meet the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss the effects of the reclassification of seafarers' earnings deduction on the recruitment and retention of British seafarers.

Stephen Timms: The background to the decision by HM Revenue and Customs to revise its guidance on seafarer's earnings deduction (SED) is a decision by the Special Commissioners, an independent appellate body, in the case of Torr and Others  v. CIR (SpC679). The great majority of seafarers who claim SED will not be affected by this decision.
	I am aware of the concerns raised by the Special Commissioners decision in this case, which centred on whether the vessel on which the appellants performed their duties was a ship or an 'offshore installation' within the meaning of the legislation. The Special Commissioners decided it had been operating as an offshore installation, and refused the appellants' claims to SED.
	Broadly speaking, an offshore installation is a vessel that is engaged in exploiting mineral resources and is not mobile while doing so. HMRC has written to tax practitioners about this decision and will discuss the implementation with interested stakeholders before the revised guidance is issued.
	Treasury Ministers regularly receive representation on tax issues from a variety of sources and hold discussions and meetings with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.

Physics: Higher Education

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how much the Government have spent on university physics departments since 1997;
	(2)  how much research funding the Government have provided to university physics departments in each financial year since 1998.

David Lammy: Figures for quality related research funding for physics paid by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to HEFCE are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  HEFCE researching funding 
			   £ million 
			 1998-99 34.9 
			 1999-2000 37.7 
			 2000-01 38.3 
			 2001-02 38.3 
			 2002-03 39.0 
			 2003-04 45.0 
			 2004-05 47.6 
			 2005-06 55.9 
			 2006-07 59.5 
			 2007-08 63.1 
			 2008-09 63.5 
		
	
	Figures for physics teaching cannot be provided. HEFCE pays teaching grant as a block to institutions. It does not make separate payments to departments for teaching.
	Research Council expenditure in university physics departments is as follows
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 304.26 
			 2002-03 320.61 
			 2003-04 345.96 
			 2004-05 402.61 
			 2005-06 425.10 
			 2006-07 443.12 
		
	
	Comparable data prior to 2001 is not available.
	Further information on Research Councils funding for physics is available at
	http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/cmsweb/downloads/rcuk/reviews/physics/prrcfda.pdf

Departmental Special Advisers

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list  (a) his special envoys and  (b) their (i) professions, (ii) responsibilities as envoys and (iii) dates of starting and ending their roles.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Prime Minister to whom or which Department the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Energy Issues reports; what his terms of reference are; and from which Department he would draw expenses, should any be incurred.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether he plans to appoint a special representative for Cyprus; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to appoint an envoy for forestry; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the ministerial appointments press notice issued by my Office. A Copy has been placed in the Library of the House and is also available on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-notices
	In addition, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), who has served since 2003 as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Human Rights in Iraq, continues to perform her very important role.
	They are entitled to claim reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred as part of their work. These expenses are paid in accordance with existing departmental guidelines on allowances and subsistence.

Regional Economic Council of Ministers

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how meetings of the Regional Economic Council of Ministers will be accountable to  (a) Parliament and  (b) the public; if he will place copies of the minutes of the meetings on a Government website and in the Library; and whether the Council will be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
	(2)  whether the  (a) minutes of meetings of and  (b) papers discussed at the National Economic Council will be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2006.

Gordon Brown: The Regional Economic Council will support my right hon. Friends' the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Darling) and the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Mandelson) to carry out their departmental responsibilities. Any freedom of information (FOI) issues will be dealt with by HM Treasury and BERR, which are public authorities within the FOI Act. The Cabinet Office will deal with any FOI requests relating to the National Economic Council.
	Any requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act are considered on a case by case basis.

E-Asset IT System

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the projected cost is of implementing fully the E-Asset IT system;
	(2)  what the cost to date has been of implementing the E-Asset IT system;
	(3)  which  (a) secure children's homes, secure training centres and youth offender institutions and  (b) other bodies within his responsibility are currently using fully the E-Asset IT system;
	(4)  which secure children's homes, secure training centres and youth offender institutions are not using fully the E-Asset IT system;
	(5)  when the E-Asset Sentence Management System will be fully implemented across the secure children's home, secure training centre and youth offender institution estates;

David Hanson: The e-Asset project started in July 2006. The projected cost of fully implementing the E-Asset system is £8.9 million. This cost can be broken down into £4.8 million for technology development and hosting; and £4.1 million expenditure on business change activities associated with roll-out and implementation across the juvenile secure estate—e.g. training.
	The cost to date (since July 2006) of implementing the E-Asset system is £7.49 million. This can be broken down into £4.1 million for technology development and hosting and £3.39 million for implementation (roll-out and training).
	All establishments in the secure estate have successfully installed encryption devices in preparation for national roll-out. The rollout of the E-Asset system is currently running to original schedule and budget and on track for completion by April 2009. The intention during 2009-10 is to consolidate system usage through a programme of post implementation review, to ensure it is being used to its maximum potential. All establishments within the juvenile secure estate for England and Wales, whether run by HMPS, local authorities or the private sector are committed to implementing the E-Asset system.
	The following establishments are fully implemented as at 20 October 2008:
	 Private Establishments
	Ashfield
	 HM Prison Service Establishments
	HMPS YOI Castington
	HMPS YOI Downview
	HMPS YOI Eastwood Park
	HMPS YOI Feltham
	HMPS YOI Foston Hall
	HMPS YOI Hindley
	HMPS YOI Huntercombe
	HMPS YOI Lancaster Farms
	HMPS YOI New Hall
	HMPS YOI Thorn Cross
	HMPS YOI Warren Hill
	HMPS YOI Wetherby
	 Secure Training Centre Establishments
	Hassockfield
	Medway
	Rainsbrook
	 Local Authority Secure Children's Homes
	Aldine House
	Aycliffe
	Barton Moss
	Kyloe House
	Sutton Place
	These 21 sites represent 65 per cent. of the capacity of the secure estate (in terms of beds). In addition, the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales have full access to the E-Asset system. In future, it is envisaged that aspects of the system may be viewable by Youth Offending Teams to ensure joint Sentence Planning and improved provision for effective community resettlement.
	The following custodial establishments are scheduled to implement the E-Asset system by April 2009.
	 Private Establishments
	Parc YOI
	 HM Prison Service Establishments
	HMPS YOI Brinsford
	HMPS YOI Stoke Heath
	HMPS YOI Werrington
	 Secure Training Centre Establishments
	Oakhill
	 Local Authority Secure Children's Homes
	Atkinson Unit
	Clayfields House
	East Moor
	Hillside
	Lincolnshire
	Orchard Lodge
	Red Bank
	Swannick Lodge
	Vinney Green
	The E-Asset Sentence Management system will be fully rolled out across the juvenile secure estate by April 2009.

Electoral Register: Internet

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the status is of the development of the coordinated online record of electors project.

Michael Wills: The CORE project is currently moving forward with two parallel strands of work: implementation of electoral registration data standards and the gathering of user requirements for the CORE system and CORE service to service the detailed specification of the system.
	In April 2008, My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) issued direction under section 52(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c.2)(as amended) with which Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in Great Britain are required to comply by 1 December 2009. The direction requires that any electoral registration data held on electronic systems is formatted in compliance with the standards.
	Throughout 2008 officials have been holding meetings and workshops with potential users of the system to gather user requirements, identify issues and test assumptions around how the CORE Service and its IT and business systems will operate. This will inform development of a 'high level statement of requirements'. It is expected that this high level statement of user requirements will be complete by March 2009. That statement will inform decision about the design, scope and build of the CORE system.
	We continue to engage with the Electoral Commission as the preferred choice to fulfil the role of the CORE Keeper.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the new arrangements for the Special Education Needs and Disability Panel on access to the tribunal for parents without legal representation.

Bridget Prentice: The new case management system will ensure that evidence is limited to relevant issues, witnesses at hearings are restricted to those strictly necessary to the case and are fairly balanced between parties and adjournments largely avoided. This new process will enable the tribunal to provide more help to unrepresented parents to ensure they provide, and also obtain from the local education authority, the right information at the appropriate stages of the process. Representatives from voluntary sector groups providing advice and assistance to parents have had input into the design of the processes. Many parents successfully appeal without the need for legal representation at hearings and it is not anticipated there will be any increase in the level of need for such legal representation.

Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young people attended more than  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three young offender institutions in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service do not routinely keep figures for the number of young people attending more than  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three young offender institutions.

Youth Justice Management Information System

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the estimated cost is of implementing the connectivity system across the youth justice network;
	(2)  what the cost to date has been of developing the connectivity network;
	(3)  when the Connectivity application software and encryption devices will be installed by all youth offender teams;
	(4)  which  (a) youth offender teams and  (b) non-HM Prison Service secure establishments are (i) using fully and (ii) not using fully Connectivity information sharing in their everyday operation.

David Hanson: The connectivity system has taken two years from design through to implementation at a cost of approximately £6 million.
	The connectivity project started in July 2006. The cost to date of developing, maintaining and upgrading the connectivity network as at September 2008 is £5.28 million.
	The connectivity encryption devices are already rolled out across all 157 youth offending teams allowing secure sharing of information. The application software is fully developed and is scheduled to be completely rolled out by April of 2009.
	The programme is taking a two-stage approach to secure information sharing between YOTs and secure establishments. The first stage which utilises secure email is now fully complete, involving all 157 YOTs and 35 secure establishments. The second stage, which involves system to system connectivity, has been successfully implemented to YOTs and secure establishment in the Yorkshire and Humber and north-east regions (containing nine YOTs and two secure establishments).
	Full implementation of the connectivity solution (stage two) is scheduled for April 2009.

Departmental Consultants

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1339W, on departmental consultants, what his Department's projected spend on consultants is in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The use of consultancy is determined by the various divisions within the Department for International Development (DFID), on the basis of a clear business case. Most of DFID's consultancy expenditure is for services to the development programme, rather than for assistance with in-house tasks. The nature of development assistance means that DFID does not therefore produce aggregate forecasts of consultancy expenditure.

Developing Countries: Natural Disasters

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps the Government has taken to improve the support given to developing countries immediately following natural disasters;
	(2)  what steps the Government has taken to encourage other countries to provide emergency service personnel to developing countries immediately after a natural disaster.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) gives substantial support to developing countries following natural disasters.
	DFID's natural disaster response has been scrutinised and praised in recent years by Parliament's International Development and Public Accounts Committees, by the National Audit Office and by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD. We regularly monitor our own humanitarian responses and the partners that we fund, including through field visits to project sites. In the case of major disasters, there is usually an external scrutiny of the overall response. In the case of our Burma response, we are planning to supplement this with a thorough independent evaluation of our own contribution.
	DFID works closely with the Governments and other authorities of developing countries affected by natural disasters, both in operational response and through longer term programmes to help those countries with measures to reduce and mitigate disaster risks. Most lives saved in a natural disaster are those saved in the immediate few days by family members, local people and local organisations.
	We encourage other countries to provide emergency personnel in several ways. We provide both funding and UK experts to the global United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) network which sends international teams to disaster zones. We also support the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism for disaster response by providing search and rescue capability and we co-operate with a number of fellow European countries to provide combined response through a network called the International Humanitarian Partnership.

Pakistan: Earthquakes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government provided to the government of Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake.

Douglas Alexander: In the first six months after the October 2005 earthquake the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £53 million for emergency relief to help the 3.5 million people affected. This support included the provision of water and sanitation, shelter, food and helicopter and aeroplane flights to get aid to where it was most needed.
	Since then, we have been working closely with the Government of Pakistan on the reconstruction and rehabilitation process with support totalling £49 million to date.

South America: Research

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 995W, on South America: research, what priority themes were identified by the International Development Research Centre for Asia and Latin America; when consideration of the studies will be completed; what the cost of the scoping work is expected to be; and how many training places have been created as a result of this work.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has co-funded with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) scoping studies related to climate change adaptation research in Asia and Latin America.
	In Latin America as a whole, the priority adaptation research themes identified were agriculture, governance, health, social protection, migration, water, financial institutions and disaster risk reduction. Similar themes were identified in the Asia study.
	The total cost of the scoping work is expected to be around £600,000, of which, DFID will contribute £400,000. DFID's consideration of the scoping work is expected to be complete by the end of March 2009.
	No training places were created as a result of the scoping studies.

Academies: Armed Forces

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of academies linked to schools associated with military establishments.

Jim Knight: There are no military organisations sponsoring academies, however there are a growing number of academies that are developing Cadet Forces, sometimes in partnership with other schools.
	The Wellington Academy in Wiltshire will be close to a military base, and is working with the military and other partners to enrich the opportunities the Academy offers its students and local community. This also reflects the aspirations of the Academy's sponsor, Wellington College, which itself has military connections.

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many private sponsors of  (a) existing and  (b) planned academies have had discussions with his Department about withdrawing from the programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There has been one sponsor, Amey, who have discussed withdrawing from an existing academy. We are not in similar discussions with any other sponsors of open or planned academies.
	Since the first academies opened in 2002 one lead sponsor withdrew after signing a funding agreement, but before the academy opened. In this instance a new lead sponsor took over. There have also been two instances of co-sponsors withdrawing from projects after signing the funding agreement. On both occasions the other co-sponsors continued with the projects.

Academies: Sponsorship

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what powers he has to dismiss any academy sponsor; and when those powers have been exercised.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State may, at any time and in certain circumstances, by notice in writing, terminate the funding agreement with an academy sponsor. These circumstances include insolvency or if the academy trust has passed a resolution for its winding up. The Secretary of State may also terminate the funding agreement if the chief inspector gives a notice to the academy trust stating that in his opinion special measures are required to be taken in relation to the academy. However, he would usually only do so if the academy trust had not made and acted upon a written statement of the action the trust proposes to take, and the period within which it proposes to take such action. In all other circumstances The Secretary of State, or the academy trust, may give not less than seven academy financial years' written notice to terminate the funding agreement.
	The Secretary of State may appoint additional governors as he thinks fit if he has given the governors a warning notice in accordance with the articles of association and the governors have failed to comply with the notice to his satisfaction. With a majority of the governors, the Secretary of State would have the power to dismiss the sponsor, through amendments to the memorandum and articles.
	The Department carry out rigorous checks to establish the suitability of individuals and organisations to become sponsors of academies. These include checking their financial viability to supply the funds pledged as well as their general suitability.
	To date, the Secretary of State has not terminated a funding agreement with an academy trust, or flooded the governing body to dismiss an academy sponsor.

After School Clubs

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) after-school facilities and  (b) holiday clubs in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: The Government have made a commitment that by 2010 all schools will be providing access to a core range of extended services, including a varied menu of activities from 8 am to 6 pm as well as provision during the school holidays. There are currently over 14,000 schools (65 per cent.) providing extended services.
	In order to support delivery of extended schools, significant funding has been made available. £840 million was made available between 2003 to 2008 and an additional £1.3 billion has been committed for the period 2008 to 2011.
	It is for each local authority, in consultation with schools and other children's services partners, to make decisions on how best to use this funding to support schools develop extended services, based on local needs. The Department centrally does not hold a break down of how much funding has been spent on particular elements of the core offer, including after-school facilities and holiday clubs.

Children: Asylum

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on the placement of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Government recognise the particular vulnerability of unaccompanied asylum seeking children who may have been trafficked into the UK. This is why in December 2007 we issued "Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked", to supplement the statutory Guidance, "Working Together to Safeguard Children". Paragraphs 7.55 to 7.64 of this further Guidance provides information for local authorities about the steps they will need to take to ensure that any potentially trafficked child that they look after is effectively safeguarded.

Crayford Academy

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made on plans for the proposed Crayford Academy.

Jim Knight: The Crayford Academy is five months into the feasibility stage.
	The funding agreement is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval in March 2009. If the Secretary of State approves the funds to move into the Implementation Stage, the planned opening will be in temporary accommodation in September 2009. The final Outline Business Case approval is planned for March 2009 which will allow the new building to be occupied by September 2010.
	The LA statutory school closure has commenced and is due to be complete by 2 February 2009. The Academy's consultation commenced on 1 October and is due to complete by January 2009.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many agencies were sponsored by his Department or its predecessors in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The "Next Steps Report 1997" (Cm3889) provides information on all Executive agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available from the Library of the House. The most up-to-date list of Executive AGENCIES is published in the Cabinet Office publication "The List of Ministerial Responsibilities". The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Further Education

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what surveys his Department has conducted to estimate the proportion of the school student population which wishes to stay on in full-time education beyond the age of 16 years; and what the findings were.

Jim Knight: There are a number of surveys which have been conducted by the Department which have asked young people about their intentions after age 16:
	 Longitudinal Study of Young People in England
	The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) is a longitudinal (panel) study of young people. In the first interview or 'wave' of LSYPE (Spring 2004), sample members were asked at age 13/14 what their intentions were after Year 11. The results show that at age 13/14 78 per cent. of LSYPE respondents intended to stay on in full-time education either at the school they were currently attending or somewhere else. LSYPE did not ask about intentions to other learning routes.
	 Tellus2 and Tellus3
	Tellus2 and Tellus3 were national online surveys of pupils in years 6, 8 and 10, carried out to gather the views of children and young people on topics relating to the five Every Child Matters outcomes. The relevant question asked: 'What do you hope to do when you leave school? (Years 8 and 10 only). The results are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Get a  j ob at 16  Study and get a job at 18  Study and go to university  Something else  Don't know 
			 Tellus2 average nationally 16 17 50 7 10 
			 Tellus3 average nationally 13 19 54 6 9 
		
	
	 Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Pilots
	Various surveys of 21,500 young people who were in their final year of compulsory education in 1999 or 2000 were carried out for the evaluation of the EMA pilots. 78 per cent. wanted to stay in full-time education after age 16, 18 per cent. wanted to enter work or training and 4 per cent. were undecided or wanted something else.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 590-91W, on the general certificate of secondary education, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the requested information in full;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 591W, on languages: general certificate of secondary education, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the requested information.

Jim Knight: It was estimated that cost of answering the closely related questions would be over £4,000.

Pre-school Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1133W, on pre-school education, what the timescale is for the pilots underway in 63 local authorities.

Beverley Hughes: 32 local authorities have been engaged in delivering a pilot, free early education entitlement for two-year-olds, since 2006. We have invited those local authorities, to participate in the extended scheme from 2008. A further 31 local authorities will commence delivery of the extended scheme in phases from January 2009. The extended scheme will run until April 2011.

Pupil Referral Units: Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupil referral units do not have provision for pupils with special educational needs, broken down by local authority.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: According to my Department's record of information supplied by local authorities at the time of registration 366 pupil referral units catered for pupils with special educational needs and 184 pupil referral units did not indicate whether they catered for pupils with special educational needs. However, pupils with special educational needs are likely to be attending all types of school and other provision, so there are likely to be children with special educational needs in pupil referral units in addition to the 366.

Schools: Bureaucracy

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what average proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school teacher's working time was spent (i) completing government-originated forms and (ii) classroom teaching in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold any information about the time teachers spend completing government-originated forms.
	The available information on the average number of hours per week spent by teachers about different activities is published by the Office of Manpower Economics (OME) and summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Average time worked per week by full-time classroom teachers, total hours and proportions spent on grouped activities (March 2008) 
			  Percentage 
			   Primary classroom teachers  Secondary classroom teachers 
			 Teaching 33 38 
			 PPA 33 30 
			 Non-teaching pupil/parent contact 11 14 
			 School/staff management 7 6 
			 General Admin. Support 9 6 
			 Individual/professional activity 6 5 
			 Other 1 1 
			 Total time on all working activities (hours) 52.2 49.9 
		
	
	These figures are based upon a sample survey of around 2,000 teachers in England and Wales during a single week in March 2008. The full report "Teachers' Workloads Diary Survey" was published in August 2008 and can be found on the OME website at:
	http://www.ome.uk.com/review.cfm?body=7

Schools: Land

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how educational land is valued for sale.

Jim Knight: Any application submitted for approval to sell school playing field, under section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, must include a valuation for the land in question. This valuation must be provided by the district valuer or an independent professionally-qualified valuer. It is expected that schools or local authorities should only sell publicly owned land for best value.

Social Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to monitor trends in out-of-area placements made by social services.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 2005-06, the SSDA903 collection of data concerning looked after children has contained information on:
	the local authority of placement at 31 March for children looked after on that date; and
	the distance in miles between their address at 31 March and their address immediately before entering care.
	Information derived from this data was used in developing the Children and Young Person's Bill clause that is concerned with the provision of accommodation and maintenance for children who are looked after by a local authority.

Specialised Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the total cost of the implementation of the diploma programme.

Jim Knight: We have spent £65.2 million on Diplomas during the last three years. We are providing additional funding to support Diploma delivery and capacity building over the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) years; over the next three years we are making an additional £373.8 million available to support the Diploma programme.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools he expects to offer one or more new diploma courses starting in September  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: 307 consortia are approved to offer one or more Diplomas from September 2009. A total of 3394 institutions are involved with these consortia, including 2205 maintained secondary schools and 62 Academies. We do not yet have figures for 2010 or 2011 delivery.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to introduce a general diploma.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The 14-19 Diploma is being introduced in four phases between 2008 and 2011. By 2011 there will be 17 lines of learning covering a wide range of employment sectors and subjects, and we will be introducing a national entitlement to the Diploma from 2013. The full range of Diploma qualifications will allow all young people who wish to do so to follow a course of study which combines applied and theoretical learning within a coherent overall framework built around core skills of literacy and numeracy. We do not have any plans to introduce a further, general Diploma at this time. The Government have, however, committed to carrying out a full review of 14-19 qualifications, including the Diploma, in 2013.